Exploring Genome-Phenome Interconnections

The institute will provide secure health care data storage and
analytical services to UB researchers as well as industry partners,
says Peter
Winkelstein, MD, MBA, clinical professor of pediatrics and
biomedical informatics and executive director of the institute.

These services will help researchers explore genome-phenome
interconnections, linking genetic information to data about the
actual health status of people, Winkelstein explains.

Such linkages will provide clues about why people with similar
genetic makeups vary in health status and, conversely, why those
who are similar in health status have different genomes.

The combination of genetic and electronic health information
will open up new research and treatment options, helping to usher
in the next wave of medicine, he adds.

Discoveries from the data will aid the development of
personalized treatments tailored to each patient. The information
also is expected to lead to new tests or genetic markers to
identify people at risk and help prevent disease.

State Funding Includes $48 Million for Buffalo

Healthcare informatics is just one component of
UB’s contribution to the Buffalo genomic research center,
funded with $48 million recently approved by Empire State
Development.

The center as a whole will provide the infrastructure
and expertise to foster a local genomics industry.

An additional $57 million in state funds will support an
affiliated genome research center in New York City.

The initiative also will harness the expertise of partner
institutions and firms throughout the state.

Ushering in New Frontier in Medicine

“This exciting new partnership will … put the state
in the forefront of this new industry while saving lives and
improving public health,” says Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who
announced the project in January.

“We want Buffalo and Western New York to be the
international center for genomic research and lead the way in
revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of serious
diseases.”

In part by leveraging UB faculty’s research in the
biomedical sciences, the initiative has the potential to lead to
breakthrough treatments for a host of diseases, including diabetes,
heart disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Growing Experts for the Nation

The genome project “is good for UB, the Buffalo area and
the nation,” says Winkelstein.

“It is generally accepted that genomic medicine will lead
to tremendous health benefits, including better treatments and
prevention,” he notes. “This initiative will draw
from a great deal of expertise at UB and a close to unique set of
infrastructure, positioning our university as a leader in the
field.”

In addition, the project will present numerous educational
opportunities, probably at all levels of training, he adds.

“There is a tremendous and growing need for expertise in
areas such as health care information technology,” he
says.

“Today, the needed skills are just not out there, so we
will need to grow our own experts to fill jobs both locally and
nationwide.”

Spurring Economic Development

The state funding for the Buffalo center is part of
Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion investment designed to spur the
Western New York economy.

The genome partnership is expected to create hundreds of new
jobs in both Buffalo and New York City, in part by attracting
private-sector firms.

These companies will gain access to research and supercomputing
resources and, in turn, contribute to the creation of new
approaches to personalized medicine, diagnostics and
technologies.

Already, four Buffalo companies will benefit: Computer Task
Group, AESKU.Diagnostics, Lineagen and Empire Genomics, created
by Norma
J. Nowak, PhD, professor of biochemistry.
A recognized leader in the field of genomics, Nowak also
directs science and technology for the Center of Excellence at
UB.

The funding builds on prior state support that is allowing UB to
expand its biomedical research and supercomputing capabilities,
primarily in facilities on the growing Buffalo Niagara Medical
Campus near downtown.